ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of the depth of skin press in blunt tip placebo acupuncture needles on patient blinding and its relationship to needle diameter.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty healthy volunteers were enrolled as subjects for patient blinding. Four acupuncturists applied the following needles randomly at three points in each forearm: 0.18 mm and 0.25 mm diameter penetrating needles inserted to a depth of 5 mm, and 0.18 mm and 0.25 mm diameter skin-touch needles depressing the skin at the acupoint to a depth of 1 mm and 2 mm from the skin surface. The subjects reported their guesses at the nature of needles they received, and rated needle pain and de qi. A blinding index was calculated to define the success of blinding for subjects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The blinding status of subjects for 1 mm press needles of 0.18 mm diameter was "random guess", but "unblinded" for 1 mm press needles of 0.25 mm diameter. For 2 mm press needles of both diameters, the blinding status was "opposite guess" and the blinding status for penetrating needles of both diameters was "unblinded." The percentages of "felt pain" with 2 mm press needles of both diameters were similar to that with penetrating needles, but those were not similar for 1 mm press needles. The frequency of de qi occurrence with 2 mm press needles of 0.18 mm diameter was similar to that of penetrating needles of both diameters.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Placebo needles of 2 mm press made more subjects guess that the needles penetrated the skin than 1 mm press needles. The use of small diameter needles increased patient blinding.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Acupuncture Points , Acupuncture Therapy , Methods , Healthy Volunteers , Needles , Placebo Effect , SensationABSTRACT
We have investigated that individual properties and irritability to the electrical stimulation of Wenliu (Li-7) were determined by acupuncture of Hegu (Li-4) and Quchi (Li-11) as the strength-duration relations.<br>Results showed that reobase (27.8±1.09V, n=114), utilization time (1.38±0.13ms, n=114) and chronaxie (0.031±0.002ms, n=114), were interestingly similar as previous results of in vitro studies.<br>Value of chronaxie of female subjects (0.021±0.001ms, n=21) was significantly lower than male (0.053±0.010ms, n=36). So that acupuncture stimulation influenced to the chronaxie.<br>Hegu stimulation significantly (p<0.05) shortend than Quchi stimulation as compared to intact control group.<br>These results might be suggested that it has to considered responses to stimulation in the sex differences when determination of acupuncture effects in the clinical and/or research studies.